The girl children from Meghalaya in Hosur on Monday. Photo: N. Bashkaran

Twenty tribal girl children aged between 8 and 13
hailing from West Khasi Hills, East Khasi Hills and Jaintia Hills of
Meghalaya were sent back home from Hosur on Monday night as per the
orders of the Madras High Court, said Praveen P. Nair, Hosur
Sub-Collector.

The first bench of the Madras High
Court headed by acting Chief Justice Satish K. Agnihothri and Justice M.
Sundaresan on March 6 directed the Government to handover the children
to the Chief Secretary of Meghalaya on March 13.

As
per the order, the district administration finished all the necessary
formalities including conducting medical tests for the children at the
Government-registered private home, Narendira Nambikkai Natchathiram, on
Monday.

The court also directed the Meghalaya Chief
Secretary to summon the parents of the children for identification. If
the parents were willing, they could bring their children back to Hosur
to complete their education.

The Meghalaya Government
should report back to the court on the compliance of its order, after
which the final hearing of the case would be held, the bench in its
direction said.

The children were escorted by a team
of 10 persons including L. Vincent Sundarraj, chairperson, Child Welfare
Committee of Krishnagiri district, and M. Sivagandhi, District Child
Protection Officer, revenue, health and social workers.